Curiosity piqued her. “What is it like where you come from?”
“I lived at Reservation for over a month before I took this assignment. Wrath and I both agreed our time would be better spent tracking down our enemies than learning how to play sports. Reservation is a big, forested area with few buildings. They have a hotel, just opened a movie theater, and we have a bar where our social events are held. We don’t enjoy drinking alcohol but a lot of us like to dance. It is a good place to live.”
“Do you miss it?”
Shadow hesitated. “What we do is important and we had less to lose than most since we were so recently freed. We volunteered for this duty and we’re honored to represent our people.”
Wrath growled. “Enough.”
Shadow frowned, shot him a dirty look and continued. “We not only hunt criminals who harmed Species but some of our people are still being held captive. Wrath and I are examples of that. We were not rescued in the raids of the original testing facilities that were located. Before that even happened, we were stolen by some of the staff and taken to new locations. They used us to make money to begin new lives in other countries and escape justice.”
“Shadow, enough.” Wrath’s voice came out a growl now.
“She needs to know and I don’t hear you telling her.” Shadow paused. “We are hoping that anyone we capture who worked for Mercile will have information to help us locate other Species.”
Lauren turned her head and stared up at Wrath. He frowned at his friend and once again she wished she could see his eyes. “What is wrong with him telling me that?”
His lips parted but then he sealed them in a tight line.
“He is probably worried that you might think he is cruel to go after humans despite the harm they caused Species.”
“I don’t believe that.” Lauren reached out and placed her hand over Wrath’s. “I think it’s very brave.”
He didn’t pull away and she relaxed in her seat. She turned to Shadow again to get more answers since he was talkative. “I thought all the New Species had been found and freed.”
“We didn’t know a fifth testing facility existed but it was located. There is evidence there may be more and who knows how many others were stolen away in the manner Wrath and I were.”
“That’s horrible.”
Shadow jerked his head in agreement. “Yes. That is why we live away from our kind and sacrifice so much to do our duty.” His chin lifted and he stared at Wrath. “We must not forget the commitment we have made to our people.”
Wrath growled, his head snapped in Shadow’s direction and his fangs flashed in a scary show of temper. “Enough.”
Lauren glanced between the two men, wondering what she was missing.
“What’s your address?” Brian’s gaze met hers in the mirror. “It’s hard to drive there if I don’t know where I’m going.”
Brass gave Lauren’s home address before she could. He turned in his seat to meet her surprised stare. “We learned everything we could about you the second you showed up at that warehouse. I could tell you how much money you made four years ago and what you charged on your credit cards if I wished.”
The silence in the SUV stretched on until she realized they were near her home. “It’s the tan building with the big bushes. You can take the driveway to the left and park in the back. I have a visitor’s parking space.”
Brian parked where she indicated and Wrath helped Lauren climb out of the SUV. She spotted her neighbor and waved at Mr. Adams, flashing him a big grin. Amusement made her chuckle at the way his eyes widened behind his glasses as she passed him with her four large escorts.
“What is funny?” Wrath handed her purse over when she paused in front of her door.
She unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. “Sorry if my place is a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Wrath paused next to her. “Why did you find it amusing when the old man gaped at us? You are still smiling.”
Lauren chuckled. “Mr. Adams is a gossiping busybody with a wild imagination.”
“I don’t understand.” Brass spoke. “What is that?”
Brian laughed. “It means he’s very nosy. He’s always talking to everyone and makes things up.” Brian turned to Lauren. “They don’t understand some of our terms.”
Lauren chuckled. “By tonight he’s going to be telling everyone in the complex that I brought four big guys home and he’ll probably say we had an orgy.”
Brian grinned.
Wrath inched closer to her side. “Is that a party?”
Lauren laughed. “Kind of. An orgy is…” She looked at Brian for help. “Do you want to explain that one?”
He laughed. “The old man will tell everyone that Lauren had sex with all of us at once. An orgy is where a group of people all strip down na**d and have sex together in a pile of bodies.”
Wrath growled as he turned his head to Lauren, his lips pressed in a tight line from anger before he shot a warning look at every other male in the room. “I’d hurt anyone who touched her.”
Shadow’s mouth twitched with a near smile. “Easy, friend. She wouldn’t survive four of us at once and we don’t share well.”
“Um, okay. I’m going to go change clothes so we can get this over with. Make yourselves at home.” Lauren spun and walked down the hallway.
“I lived at Reservation for over a month before I took this assignment. Wrath and I both agreed our time would be better spent tracking down our enemies than learning how to play sports. Reservation is a big, forested area with few buildings. They have a hotel, just opened a movie theater, and we have a bar where our social events are held. We don’t enjoy drinking alcohol but a lot of us like to dance. It is a good place to live.”
“Do you miss it?”
Shadow hesitated. “What we do is important and we had less to lose than most since we were so recently freed. We volunteered for this duty and we’re honored to represent our people.”
Wrath growled. “Enough.”
Shadow frowned, shot him a dirty look and continued. “We not only hunt criminals who harmed Species but some of our people are still being held captive. Wrath and I are examples of that. We were not rescued in the raids of the original testing facilities that were located. Before that even happened, we were stolen by some of the staff and taken to new locations. They used us to make money to begin new lives in other countries and escape justice.”
“Shadow, enough.” Wrath’s voice came out a growl now.
“She needs to know and I don’t hear you telling her.” Shadow paused. “We are hoping that anyone we capture who worked for Mercile will have information to help us locate other Species.”
Lauren turned her head and stared up at Wrath. He frowned at his friend and once again she wished she could see his eyes. “What is wrong with him telling me that?”
His lips parted but then he sealed them in a tight line.
“He is probably worried that you might think he is cruel to go after humans despite the harm they caused Species.”
“I don’t believe that.” Lauren reached out and placed her hand over Wrath’s. “I think it’s very brave.”
He didn’t pull away and she relaxed in her seat. She turned to Shadow again to get more answers since he was talkative. “I thought all the New Species had been found and freed.”
“We didn’t know a fifth testing facility existed but it was located. There is evidence there may be more and who knows how many others were stolen away in the manner Wrath and I were.”
“That’s horrible.”
Shadow jerked his head in agreement. “Yes. That is why we live away from our kind and sacrifice so much to do our duty.” His chin lifted and he stared at Wrath. “We must not forget the commitment we have made to our people.”
Wrath growled, his head snapped in Shadow’s direction and his fangs flashed in a scary show of temper. “Enough.”
Lauren glanced between the two men, wondering what she was missing.
“What’s your address?” Brian’s gaze met hers in the mirror. “It’s hard to drive there if I don’t know where I’m going.”
Brass gave Lauren’s home address before she could. He turned in his seat to meet her surprised stare. “We learned everything we could about you the second you showed up at that warehouse. I could tell you how much money you made four years ago and what you charged on your credit cards if I wished.”
The silence in the SUV stretched on until she realized they were near her home. “It’s the tan building with the big bushes. You can take the driveway to the left and park in the back. I have a visitor’s parking space.”
Brian parked where she indicated and Wrath helped Lauren climb out of the SUV. She spotted her neighbor and waved at Mr. Adams, flashing him a big grin. Amusement made her chuckle at the way his eyes widened behind his glasses as she passed him with her four large escorts.
“What is funny?” Wrath handed her purse over when she paused in front of her door.
She unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. “Sorry if my place is a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Wrath paused next to her. “Why did you find it amusing when the old man gaped at us? You are still smiling.”
Lauren chuckled. “Mr. Adams is a gossiping busybody with a wild imagination.”
“I don’t understand.” Brass spoke. “What is that?”
Brian laughed. “It means he’s very nosy. He’s always talking to everyone and makes things up.” Brian turned to Lauren. “They don’t understand some of our terms.”
Lauren chuckled. “By tonight he’s going to be telling everyone in the complex that I brought four big guys home and he’ll probably say we had an orgy.”
Brian grinned.
Wrath inched closer to her side. “Is that a party?”
Lauren laughed. “Kind of. An orgy is…” She looked at Brian for help. “Do you want to explain that one?”
He laughed. “The old man will tell everyone that Lauren had sex with all of us at once. An orgy is where a group of people all strip down na**d and have sex together in a pile of bodies.”
Wrath growled as he turned his head to Lauren, his lips pressed in a tight line from anger before he shot a warning look at every other male in the room. “I’d hurt anyone who touched her.”
Shadow’s mouth twitched with a near smile. “Easy, friend. She wouldn’t survive four of us at once and we don’t share well.”
“Um, okay. I’m going to go change clothes so we can get this over with. Make yourselves at home.” Lauren spun and walked down the hallway.
